Summary:
Yuuri could forget everything about
Shin Makoku, but there is one thing that he could never forget…

XxxxxX

Setting: Shin
Makoku

Time: Unknown

"Yuuri!!"
The blonde clutched onto the only thing
that was available, his sword, it was the only thing that he could
depend on at this moment. Pieces of debris were tumbling down,
crashing around him. He was losing his footing on the shaking ground.
His emerald eyes glistered in the dim light, searching frantically
for the sign of the double black.

"Yuuri!!" He let
out his shriek again. Tears were fighting in his eyes. He noted that
he should not cry. Not until he had found him.

'Wolfram, look
out!!'

"Yuuri!?"
The voice, wimpy, gentle, familiar and nostalgic, he would finally
find him, his Yuuri. But where… where does this voice come from?! Why can't he track down the source?

'Behind
you! Wolf!'

'What?!'
He turned. It was at this moment, he felt his breathing stopped, even
his heartbeat, as a tingling icy pain spread from his chest, slowly
turning agonizing. He held on his sword, clinging on it tightly, he
had not yet ensured Yuuri's safety…

'Where…
where is Yuuri…?' Feeling his breathing became narrower each
time he inspired. Beads of sweats dropping, he gritted his teeth and
looked down. A sharp material was protruding out from his chest, the
red liquid staining his blue uniform. His eyes widened. Shocked, he
turned to see the silhouette of a person. His strained his eyes
further when more debris fell apart around the silhouette, the
moonlight seeping through. His eyes widened in disbelief, as the weak
light revealed the king standing beside a fallen pillar a sinister
smile on his face. His hands were brought up to his face, more smirks
formed on his face. Wolfram's mouth was reciting the name of his
beloved as he lost senses of everything around him.

….

Setting:
Earth

Time:
Two months later…

Yuuri
pedalled his cycle along the road, heading towards his school.
Pedestrians were walking beside the lane on his right, while vehicles
passed through him on his left, one after another. He wouldn't need
to hurry since he was early today.

He
frowned as something shifted in his memory but couldn't locate it.
A blonde's face appeared in his inner eyes…

Who are
you…?

Xxxx Yuuri xxxX

He
walked into the class, trapped deep in his own thoughts. A greeting
from his best mates made him looked up. He smiled and settled down in
his allocated seat.

"Hey,
Murata,"

"What
are you thinking there?"

"It's
nothing." Yuuri laughed and shove off the trouble.

Murata
shrugged and sat down as well. They started filling each other in
with their activities of the day.

"Yuuri,"
A voice was heard from behind. Startled, Yuuri felt his heartbeat
increased tenfold. He spun around abruptly to see the person whose
image was imprinted deep in his mind.

"Who
are you…?" He would finally blurt out the question circling
around his mind. He cringed visibly as the blonde's expression
hardened. Murata drew closer to Yuuri, as Yuuri reflectively lend him
his ear.

"Shibuya,
he's Wolfram von Bielefelt, a transfer student. He had been here
for a week," He whispered.

'Wolfram…'

"Wolfram,
sorry, I had short-term memory…"

"You
sure do, wimp," The blonde mumbled and sat down next to him.

"Don't
call me a wimp," Yuuri retorted. The moment it came out from his
mouth, he stared towards Wolfram in shock. Where does this strange
feeling come from?

His
heart palpitated at another hundredfold as Wolfram threw a glance
towards him.

'Yuuri…'

'Wolfram…?'

'I
forgive you, so, please, return to Shin Makoku… The country and
people need you there,'

'What…?'

'Yuuri,
I forgive you…'

The
words repeated. He stared, and stared. Petrified, because the blonde
was now gazing straight ahead, his mouth closed. The words were not
from him and he never did seem to twist his head.

"Stop
staring at me, it makes me uncomfortable," Wolfram said. The words
were addressed to Yuuri, even though he was still staring in front.

"Eh?"
Blushing, Yuuri turned away. 'I'm sure that the voice was from
the same person…'

Xxxx Yuuram xxxX

The
teacher stepped in the classroom, drawing Yuuri's attentions back.
For hours, he sat there, listening to the tedious lecturing, once in
awhile, he would find his eyes straying aside to look at the pretty
boy sitting beside him, each time finding him watching intently at
the teacher. The strange feeling remained. It was as if he had met
this guy before, but never from his school. It was somewhere exotic…
where people were speaking in strange language… but he couldn't
recall where.

The
bell was ringing incessantly. Yuuri realized that it was recess time.
People started barging out from the class even before the teacher had
budged.

He
turned towards his target again. Seeing the blonde getting up from
his seat, he reacted before he knew what he was doing. Yuuri got up
from his own chair, and approached him.

"Yes?"
Wolfram sensed the movement and turned as well. Just in time, to see
the palm raised high in the air. His eyes were transfixed at it
motion that was moving towards him in a high speed, the target was
unmistakably at his cheek. A nice loud sound echoed through the class
as the flesh was slapped. Warmness, heat, followed by pain was slowly
transmitting through his nerves, numbing him. Students were turning
too, perplexed.

Surprised
and bewildered, Yuuri gaped at Wolfram. What had he done…?

"Take
that back!" Holding onto his warm cheek, Wolfram shouted.

"I…"

"Take
it back right now! What do you think you are doing? Slapping people
like that? What had I done to offend you this time?" Yuuri couldn't
tell if the redness on the blonde's face was a result of shame,
anger, or the slap he had just issued. He stammered, but no apologies
came to his mind. Something in his heart was telling him not to take
it back. Equally surprised at what he had just done but frustrated
because he was unable to explain it, he turned on the spot and
pivoted, leaving the blonde on the scene.

Xxxx Yuuri xxxX

"Why
would you slap him?"

"I
wasn't sure…" Yuuri mumbled as he took a bite on his hamburger.
It didn't taste as delicious to him as it usually does.

"You
shouldn't have done that, Shibuya…" The voice from his
bespectacled friend was soft.

"Pardon?"

"Eh…?
Did I say anything?" Murata shrugged off and showed his radiant
smile.

Xxxx Yuuram xxxX

School
was finally over. Most of the students had packed their things and
left. Yuuri had deliberately prolonged his packing. Relief that
Wolfram, who had disappeared during the last lesson came back finally
when he packed up his last book; he went over to speak to him again.

"Wolfram,"

"What?"
The sharp turn and piercing look was killing him. Yuuri tried his
best to maintain the eye contact.

"Could
you come with me to the roof…?"

Wolfram
gave him a puzzled look. From his view, he could sense that Wolfram
had not forgiven him for the slap. He forced a smile to ease the
tensed atmosphere.

"Fine.
I'll be up in awhile." Wolfram said, but not doing anything,
merely turned back and stared at the empty table in front of him.
Having finished packing his own bag, Yuuri decided to go ahead of
him.

Xxxx Yuuram xxxX

Yuuri
didn't need to turn, as the click behind him was heard. The sound
of footsteps was slowly moving towards him.

"Why
do you want me here?" The voice asked. Yuuri turned at this point.
The blonde's hair mixed with the yellow sunset. Beautiful, is the
only word he could find to describe the scenery.

Yuuri
perched himself down, with his back leaning on the wall. His gaze
moved up, locked on the emerald eyes.

"Sit,"
he instructed and patted the empty space beside him.

"Don't
make yourself sound like a king," Wolfram was obviously annoyed,
but despite this, he obeyed.

"I'm…
sorry about just now," Yuuri began.

"Yuuri…
do you want to hear about a story?" Wolfram interjected, he didn't
need any explanation from the double black. A nod was Yuuri's
silent answer.

"There
is a country, in different dimension, named Shin Makoku… where
people there were mostly of composed of Mazoku. Human were living
there too. They were not united. Mazoku hated human and so was the
human to Mazoku. This fact never changed." Yuuri watched as Wolfram
began his story. In his mind, the image was appearing in his mind
again. It was as if he had been to the place before. Had he?

"And
there, lived a spoiled lord who was no exception. He hated human for
his 81 living years until one day, their country's new king arrived
in their world." In silence, he saw Wolfram raised his head up to
the sky. His gaze remained distance.

"The
new king was an immature young boy. The first impression that he left
in the lord brat's heart was a 'wimp'". He would never
believe a kid like him would be able to rule their world.
Nevertheless, he could not go against the Original King's wish.
Furious and raged, he resolved to the solution of forcing the boy to
resign the post by provoking and insulting him to the point of
leaving the country by himself. In his midst of anger, he had
forgotten about his manner. He had intended to direct the insult at
him, the boy, but he ended up insulting from him, to his father then
mother. If he knew what happened next, he would have never…"

Yuuri
gasped.

"Do
you know… that in Shin Makoku, there's an old costume where
slapping across a noble's left cheek meant a proposal?" Wolfram
finally averted his gaze towards him. Yuuri's eyes had rounded into
a massive size of a baseball. He shook his head frantically.

"Wolfram...you
are… alive?" Lumps were forming in his throat, making him
extremely uncomfortable. His visions were blurring out. Stretching
out his hands, he reached towards his fiancé who he had killed with
his own hands.

Xxxx Yuuri xxxX

"AHHHHH!!"
Earth-shaking shout escaped his throat. He dropped onto his knees,
grabbing onto his hair. Wolfram had collapsed. He crawled on his
knees, edging towards the body. His hands were shaking as his hands
touched the cold skin. The liquid were collecting in pool around his
prone figure. Yuuri looked down and screamed again.

….

"It
was not your fault, heika, you're possessed," He couldn't take
in words. His mind was shut close against all advices. Funeral had
been carried out. He would still not forgive himself.

"Wolfram
was right about him. I didn't listen to him… I can't… I can't
stay here anymore…" Yuuri mumbled between his sobs.

"Yuuri,
don't do reckless things. Don't leave. Our country needs you,"
His god-father, Conrad patted his back and said.

….

'I'm
sorry, Conrad, but I can't… How can I continue to smile to all of
you as I always did? I don't have the courage to remain after this,
I'll ask Shinou to find a good king for you…' After surveying
around the ground under the moonlight, he ensured that there was no
one around. He mounted onto Ao's back and raced off towards
Shinou's Temple, ignoring Conrad's shouts in his mind.

…

"Is
that what you want?" Yuuri nodded in response to the question. He
had made up his mind. Besides him, the Great Sage let out his sigh.

"If
that's what he wanted, then, I think I would have to go as well…"

"Murata?"

"It
isn't fair," Murata turned towards him with a smile on his face,
"for you to be the only one who suffered, Shibuya. I'm at fault
too for not stopping him in time."

"My
Great Sage…" Shinou was as if a replicate of Wolfram. If Yuuri
didn't know, he would have thought that Wolfram was back… Seeing
the determined look on their face, Shinou smiled.

"I
guessed there is no way I can stop you… very well then. Yuuri
Shibuya, Murata Ken, the moment you leave Shin Makoku… I will erase
all your memories that are related to here. You'll never remember
anything about here…"

Xxxx Yuuram xxxX

His
sweating hands touched the boundaries of the lines. He saw, in shock,
as his hands swept through it. Yuuri waved his hands through
Wolfram's face and it went right through him again. His respiration
increased as though he had just run through a hundred yards. He was
touching air.

"Wolfram?"
His tears were cascading his cheek. The smile was still on the
blonde's face. This time, it was a sad one.

"Yuuri…
I'm dead, you killed me."

"No…"
He shook his head, hard. Feeling more tears flew down his cheek, he
closed his eyes.

"It
was Shinou… He granted me my wish. I'm here, to see you for one
last time before I leave. Shinou's magic was broken the moment you
slapped me." Yuuri clutched onto his chest, there was pain residing
there. He remembered pieces of memories of how he had wished
something from Shinou as well.

"Wolfram,
I'm really sorry…" The prince shook his head, denying.

"Yuuri,
I had forgiven you. Besides, it's not your fault," out from the
corner of his eyes, he saw Wolfram brought his hands closer to his
own. The pale fingers touched lightly on his cheek, even though all
he saw was air, he could feel a slight warm in the touch.

"Yuuri,
being able to see you again is great. Even that slap… I appreciated
it." Wolfram said and put on another smile which only killed him
more. Yuuri grabbed onto the visible yet slowly diminishing arms.

"Are
you leaving?" Wolfram nodded. It would only take a nod for Yuuri to
understand that he might never be able to see him again.

"No,
Wolfram!"

"I'm
glad you hadn't forgotten about me, Yuuri." The prince rose to
his feet. Yuuri stood up as well, advancing towards him. His jaws
clenched tightly but all his movements were ceased by the next
question from Wolfram.

"Do
you love me, Yuuri? After all these years… do you…?"

"I…
I couldn't say 'no', Wolf."

"But
you still wouldn't give me a complete 'yes'?" Wolfram looked
at the king in silence. His eyes turned watery. It was still an
unrequited love… He closed his eyes, letting the imaginary tears
escaped.

"It
doesn't matter so as long as I loved you…" Wolfram whispered.
He drew his face closer to the double black, and perched a light kiss
on the dampened face. Yuuri reached out his arms, holding onto the
plainly visible waist lines of Wolfram's. The lingering warmth on
his cheek made him refused to believe Wolfram's death. Panic
started attacking him as the image swelled in front of Yuuri.

"Wolfram…"
Sobbing, he couldn't control his emotions, nor could he control
what was happening.

"Y—Yes…
Yes, Wolf, please don't leave, please…" He croaked. Wolfram's
answer was a smile. He would no longer offer Yuuri anymore than that.
All Yuuri could do was watch helplessly as the blonde disappeared
into the thin air. Yuuri's hands swept through, grabbing onto
nothing…

"Wolfram!"
He wiped off the unceasing tears, spinning and twisting around. He
couldn't have just disappeared like that… No, he wouldn't! But
there were nothing around him, he didn't see Wolfram anymore.

"All
I wished from Shinou was… for you to at least, remember me…
Yuuri…" The final voice remained in the air and for the longest
time possible in Yuuri's heart.

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